12 May Mom-trepreneurs Unite!

On this Mother’s Day in the US, an appropros time to sing the praises of moms who build businesses. Life is typically very challenging for any entrepreneur. But let’s face it, even in this post-women’s lib world, women still tend to feel more responsible for child-rearing.  This creates an even greater battle to achieve success for a “mom-trepreneur.”

In my new book, The Entrepreneur’s Growth Startup Handbook: 7 Secrets to Venture Funding and Successful Growth (John Wiley & Sons/Bloomberg Press), I cover some unique issues faced by female entrepreneurs, especially those with kids living at home. And since most entrepreneurs are in their 30s and 40s, that’s exactly the age that kids are around.

How this manifests: women might feel sadder than men about what they are giving up at home if they are workaholic types or feel they have to put in a million hours to pursue their business. There are stories that venture capital firms allegedly unfairly discriminate against mom business owners, thinking that maternity leave and motherly duties will be too distracting. Work at home, which can be seen as the best of both worlds, can backfire as you are constantly reminded that the kids are in the other room without you.

Yet perservere they do and should. In the book we talk about finding balance, not only for family time but for “me” time. Doing so typically will not hurt your business, in fact it will help you recharge, focus, maybe even think some big thoughts that you don’t otherwise have the time to do. Go mom-trepeneurs!

Happy Mother’s Day Mom!